Problem: $ B = \left[\begin{array}{rr}2 & 5 \\ 4 & -1 \\ 5 & 3\end{array}\right]$ $ C = \left[\begin{array}{rr}-1 & 4 \\ 5 & 2\end{array}\right]$ What is $ B C$ ?
Because $ B$ has dimensions $(3\times2)$ and $ C$ has dimensions $(2\times2)$ , the answer matrix will have dimensions $(3\times2)$ $ B C = \left[\begin{array}{rr}{2} & {5} \\ {4} & {-1} \\ \color{gray}{5} & \color{gray}{3}\end{array}\right] \left[\begin{array}{rr}{-1} & \color{#DF0030}{4} \\ {5} & \color{#DF0030}{2}\end{array}\right] = \left[\begin{array}{rr}? & ? \\ ? & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ To find the element at any row $i$ , column $j$ of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in row $i$ of the first matrix, $ B$ , with the corresponding elements in column $j$ of the second matrix, $ C$ , and add the products together. So, to find the element at row 1, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the first element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ B$ with the first element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ C$ , then multiply the second element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ B$ with the second element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ C$ , and so on. Add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{2}\cdot{-1}+{5}\cdot{5} & ? \\ ? & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 2, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }2}$ of $ B$ with the corresponding elements in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ C$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{2}\cdot{-1}+{5}\cdot{5} & ? \\ {4}\cdot{-1}+{-1}\cdot{5} & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 1, column 2 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ B$ with the corresponding elements in $\color{#DF0030}{\text{column }2}$ of $ C$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{2}\cdot{-1}+{5}\cdot{5} & {2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4}+{5}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{2} \\ {4}\cdot{-1}+{-1}\cdot{5} & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Fill out the rest: $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{2}\cdot{-1}+{5}\cdot{5} & {2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4}+{5}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{2} \\ {4}\cdot{-1}+{-1}\cdot{5} & {4}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4}+{-1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{2} \\ \color{gray}{5}\cdot{-1}+\color{gray}{3}\cdot{5} & \color{gray}{5}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{4}+\color{gray}{3}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{2}\end{array}\right] $ After simplifying, we end up with: $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}23 & 18 \\ -9 & 14 \\ 10 & 26\end{array}\right] $